Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..

Castiel is still adjusting to being human. He sees to his toilette at the men’s shelter where he’s spent the last few nights. He squirts toothpaste directly into his mouth and muses on the indignities of biology. “Do you ever tire of urinating? I’ll never get used to it.” He joins the day’s work crew as they tend to the grounds. He notices drops of blood on a stone and follows the trail into the adjacent cemetery. It ends at the bodies of two priests. They’ve been impaled on wrought iron posts and their eyes are burned out of their fool skulls. Eeep.

Dean pours a cup of coffee and putters around the Bunker in his bathrobe and boxers. I love Dean’s robe. I love that it’s a symbol of just how comfortable – how safe – he feels in the Bunker. This is home for him now. All John ever wanted was for Dean to have a home. * feels * Sam has been up for hours. He went for a run, watched the sunrise, and grabbed some breakfast. He hands Dean a to go container. “Real bacon and eggs, extra grease.” The coronary artery disease is how Winchesters show love. They sit down, but Dean is too worried to tuck in. It’s been days since he told Castiel to meet them at the Bunker and now Sam is running? After the toll the Trials took, he thinks Sam should take it easy. Sam smiles at Dean’s concern. He feels fine. His eyes zap blue and his posture changes. Dean thinks it would be better if Sam didn’t act like he was … “possessed by an angel”? Ezekiel insists that Sam does feel better. “A work in progress of course, but I am slowly healing him.” Zeke also has news. A faction of angels are rapidly organizing and finding human vessels. These are the angels who want Castiel. “You see, Dean. I can be useful.” So can Sam, so Zeke can just settle back in. If Dean needs his help he’ll let the angel know. Ezekiel acquiesces and returns control to Sam. He picks up mid-sentence as though nothing happened. It’s called a changeover and it’s giving Dean whiplash.

The angels aren’t just organizing, they’re mass communicating. They’ve found their mouth piece in Rev. Buddy Boyle and the Going for Glory Hour. Buddy urges the faithful not to fear, but to let the angels in when their divine presence is felt. That’s actually kind of brilliant. Well played, angel Bartholomew. Also, if Kevin Bacon and Michael Biehn had a child, he would look like your vessel. Bartholomew compliments Buddy on one of his best sermons yet. “God has personally assured me that He is highly pleased with your work. He prepareth a special reward for helping Him populate a true Heaven on Earth.” Yeah, I thought angels couldn’t lie. Does that mean there’s someone above Bart pulling strings? Or are the rules a little different now that the angels have been cast out? Also, there is nothing good about the sound of special rewards or Heavens on Earth. Buddy does not share my misgivings. He considers it reward enough just being a servant of Heaven. The angel is pleased by this. “Terrific.” On first view, I got an unpleasant whiff of Leviathan from this scene, but on the rewatch, Bart has a smarmy, slicky-boy charm all of his own. More of this, please. He’s slightly less enthusiastic about the earnest young woman offering herself up as a vessel. She rates a lukewarm, ‘Yay.’ But, if she’s certain … Bartholomew raises his hands and the stained glass windows are flooded with light. A glowing vapor spills into the room and into the girl. Buddy is overcome at the sight of this miracle. Bart sits down and tries to lean out of the splash zone he knows is coming. The girl convulses as blood streams from her eyes. Then she explodes. Bart dabs at his shoulder with a handkerchief. Dude, you’ve got some Arntz on you. “The simple truth is, not all who are willing are designed to contain Heaven’s grace. We have to expect a casualty now and then.” The preacher is blindly accepting. “Like the lamb of the sacrifice.” Bart is all like, ‘Sure. We’ll go with that for now.’

Castiel leaves the shelter. With no place else to go he finds refuge in a homeless camp. He thanks the man for sharing his food. Castiel observes that those with the least to give are often the most generous. He’s new at this – in ways the man can’t even imagine. He has to plan better. “Food, sleep, or passing gas … it’s all very strange. And it’s occurred to me that one day I’m going to die.” Castiel is getting better at reading non-verbal cues. He realizes too late that mortality is not the best topic for dinner conversation. He excuses himself. He’s going to try falling asleep. “It’s quite a process, isn’t it?” He takes a seat in an abandoned bus and tries to get comfortable. He would take the man’s advice to count sheep, but he doesn’t see any. Time passes and Castiel’s eyes snap open. He can feel someone watching him. He walks to the back of the bus and the gladius slips into his hand. The angel attacks first, slicing into his arm. His surprise at Castiel’s humanity gives Cas the opening he needs. The angel’s dying grace spills out through the camp.

The boys start looking for weird within a fews days’ radius of Longmont, CO. Dean interviews a man at the shelter who remembers “Clarence”. He stayed for a few days before moving on – the same day the bodies were found, actually. The priests must have suffered badly … “But at least now they’re with the angels.” Dean sincerely hopes not. Sam chuckles when he hears the alias Castiel is using. That’s what Meg used to call him. “Of course, he doesn’t get that’s the name of a pretty famous angel.” Dean doesn’t get the reference either, upon which I call SHENANIGANS! SHENANIGANS!! We shall not speak of it again.

Castiel tries to blend in with the crowds on the street. He looks with longing at a hot dog vendor and then takes his money into a tattoo parlor. He hands the artist a slip of paper and pulls up his shirt to show her where on his ribs he’d like it placed. Once he’s hidden from the angels, he takes to the streets again. He tries to fight back the feelings of fear and confusion that threaten to overwhelm him.

He walks into a church and takes note of all of the angels – statues and stained glass – in the sanctuary. He overhears a woman praying, asking the Lord to send His angels to heal her husband. Castiel is overcome with compassion for her. “Humans … so fragile. I never realized how fragile until recently.” The woman supposes that’s why they pray. “You need something stronger than yourself.” His compassion turns to pity, and maybe a bit of envy. He used to have clarity like that. “What if you were to find out that no one is listening? What would you do?” The idea is inconceivable to the woman. “It’s not possible, because I have my faith.” His truth is not hers. “Your lack of faith doesn’t cancel what I believe. That’s not how it works.” She is kind as she gently suggests that Castiel might feel better trying it her way. “Someone is listening.”

Castiel searches through the garbage for something to eat. He shakes his head at how much is wasted. He never knew. The woman who happens upon him in the alley offers up her PB&J. April has had hard times herself. Castiel is again taken aback by a stranger’s kindness. She leaves him in the alley .. and he’s still there when she comes out of the restaurant many hours later. He’s huddled in a ball against the building, trying – and failing - to stay out of the rain. April takes him home, and real talk. If I found a dude picking through the trash in an alley who looked like Misha Collins, I’d take him home too. She patches up the gash in his shoulder and asks what happened to the guy who attacked him. “Well, I stabbed him. He exploded.” April doesn’t blink. Castiel is shirtless … I’m sorry, did he say something? He muses that his present condition is due to trusting the wrong person – and his own vanity. “I thought I was more important, more effective, than I am. That I could fix everything. And now all I can do is keep running. This feeling … being all alone …” April tells him he’s not alone tonight, and leans in to kiss him. Castiel experiences a new feeling in his pantaloons.

Sam and Dean follow the trail of bodies to the homeless camp. They talk to Castiel’s dinner companion who tells them he saw Cas hitch a ride north. “Detroit, probably.” Detroit. It always happens in Detroit. They pick up dinner and Sam scolds that there’s no food in Dean’s food. It’s all chemicals. Does he even read the label? “No, I read pie. The rest is just blah, blah, blah.” They turn down an alley and get the jump on the rogue reaper that’s been following them. *sigh* I didn’t say much about this when the concept was first introduced, because I was too distracted by Bobby and Benny and all of the hugging – so, so much hugging – to really get into it. But writers Buckner and Ross-Leming seem determined to make rogue reapers a thing. Which for one, how is Death not shutting that down? And as freelancers for hire, what do incorporeal beings even want? All the reapers we’ve met previously seemed pretty detached from such worldly concerns. And finally – THEY’RE INCORPOREAL BEINGS THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY THOSE WHO HAVE PIERCED THE VEIL. At least that’s been canon up until now, BUCKNER AND ROSS-LEMING. SO HOW ARE SAM AND DEAN SEEING THIS GUY? Not to mention torturing the reaper, torturing the reaper, torturing the reaper. At least that’s one positive to this half-baked plot point. We get to see Dean dip a toe back into the dark side. Jensen is so very, very good at making Dean go scary and dead behind the eyes. The reaper gives up everything he knows – Castiel is warded, Naomi is dead, and her protege Bartholomew is in charge. Dean holds the point of the gladius under the reaper’s chin. The reaper says killing him won’t matter. There are others who will keep looking. Dean can make sure at least one bounty hunter is off the job.

They motor to Detroit and start the search – homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and police vagrancy reports. Dean stops the car and throws Baby into park. He’s frustrated and fried. He gives Sam a hard look. It’s time for Plan B. Sam doesn’t follow. Dean leans in slightly. “I’m letting you know.” Sam squints. Is this a guessing game? Letting him know what? Dean says it again, emphasizing each word. Ezekiel flashes into awareness. Dean knows the angel can’t see Castiel, but maybe he can find whatever reaper for rent is still on his tail. Ezekiel can try.

Morning after the sexy times. Castiel gets dressed and checks his jacket for his gladius. April holds it up. Is this what he was looking for? She realizes it was probably pointless washing the blood out of his shirt. But it’s what the real April would have done. The reaper misses being her. Very sweet and so willing to say yes. So, wait what? Reapers can possess people now? * sigh * Why do I even bother questioning the plot holes in a Buckner and Ross-Leming script? Someone fetch mommy a cool washcloth and let’s just press on. April didn’t attack right away because her briefing warned that Castiel was dangerous and powerful. And he did arrive armed, so. To get the information she needs she had to gain his trust. Doing so didn’t require intercourse. That was just a bonus. The reaper slices and dices, trying to wring from Castiel what he knows about Metatron. Castiel insists that what he told her the night before is true. He was naive. He had no idea what Metatron was planning. He believed he was helping the Scribe restore Heaven and bring the factions together. And point of fact, it was Naomi that brought Metatron back to Heaven, but I don’t think Bart is bothered by such details. Castiel reveals to April that his grace was the final ingredient to Metatron’s spell. And because of that, it may be unwise to kill him. If his grace was the key to empowering the spell, he may also be the key to countering it. The boys crash through April’s front door, and killing Cas is a gamble she’ll just have to take. She shoves the gladius into his chest, and with a wave of her hand, sends Sam and Dean flying. Can reapers do that? Okay, now they’re not writing, they’re just making stuff up as they go along. ISN’T THERE A SCRIPT SUPERVISOR WHO SHOULD BE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND? Oh, mommy needs a drink. April quips that she’s popular with all the boys – allowing Dean time to pull the gladius out of Castiel and turn it against her. The grim, hard look on Dean’s face says ‘Do not eff with my angel. Ever.’ The mask falls away as he rushes to Castiel. His voice breaking with emotion, Dean calls his name. He takes Castiel’s face in his hands, but there’s no movement. No response. Dean looks at Sam and back to Castiel. He can’t believe it. They were so close. They’ve lost him so many times and he’s come back – this can’t really be happening, can it? ” … … Sam, he’s gone.” Sam picks himself up off the floor and walks over to the body. When Dean finally focuses on him, he realizes that’s not Sam. Ezekiel bends down and holds out his hand over Castiel’s wound. It glows with grace as he heals Cas and brings him back. It requires a visible effort. When he’s done, Ezekiel stumbles back and collapses to the floor in a heap. Dean takes a step towards Sam, but then Castiel croaks out his name. Dean is placed in the unusual position of not knowing who to check on first. He goes to Cas. Sam comes to, stunned to see that Castiel is okay. Dean just looks like he wants to throw up with relief.

“NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.”

It’s Castiel’s turn to be confused. He was stabbed. Why isn’t he dead? That is a very good question. For which Dean has a reasonable and plausible answer. He lies that Sam got knocked out – AGAIN – and that he made a deal with the reaper. He said he wouldn’t kabob her if she brought Cas back. So … she brought him back. He grins nervously at his own story. Castiel obviousses with a touch of admiration that Dean lied.

“I did. I do that.”

They return to the Bunker. Sam, Dean, Kevin, and Castiel all living together? This feels good. This feels right. So of course it isn’t going to last to the closing credits. * sigh * With his concussion healed – thanks Zeke! – Sam starts asking questions. How did Dean know where to find Cas? When did he go through the first reaper’s pockets to find the address? Dean swats the questions away like gnats. Sam lets it go. Castiel joins them in the map room, freshly showered and hoodied. I’ll probably always miss the trenchcoat, but his new look is growing on me. It’s very sporty. He’s really enjoying the Bunker. “Plentiful food. Good water pressure. Things I never even considered before. There really is a lot to being human, isn’t there?” Dean agrees that is ain’t all just burritos and strippers. Castiel understands what he’s saying. He does? Because Sam is pretty sure he doesn’t even. There’s more to humanity than survival. “You look for purpose. And you must not be defeated by anger or despair … or hedonism, for that matter.” Hedonism! There’s hope for hippie sex guru Castiel yet! Dean has moved on from Season Five and doesn’t get the reference. Cas tells them he had the sex with April, and Dean nearly chokes on his burrito. Sam, go pop some corn, Dean wants details. TELL HIM EVERYTHING. Castiel simply means that he sees now how difficult life can be and how well the Winchesters have led it. He thinks they’ll be great teachers. That’s sweet. Dean’s still processing the whole “gave it up to a reaper” thing. He’s so proud. The moment doesn’t last. Ezekiel bluntly announces that Cas can’t stay. He will bring the angels down on all of them. Dean can’t conceive of abandoning his friend. “This is Cas!” Dean reminds Zeke that Castiel vouched for him. Also, he’s warded and the Bunker is the safest place on the planet. That isn’t a risk that Ezekiel can take. They can’t withstand an incursion from Bartholomew’s forces. As long as Castiel remains at the Bunker he’s placing Ezekiel in danger. He forces Dean to choose. “If he stays, I am afraid I will have no choice but to leave.” He knows what that means for Sam. He seems to regret forcing the issue, but for the angel, it is just about survival.

Castiel pulls out a chair for Dean to sit down. Of course they can talk. He appreciates their talks and their time together. Dean steels himself. His face is dark. He doesn’t give a reason, he just cuts to the chase. Castiel can’t stay.

(gifrific.com)

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Detroit. It always happens in Detroit. I know I’m not the only one to pick up on this, but the events of “The End” take place in August 2014. And here we are – Bobby is gone. The Samulet is gone. Castiel is human. The angels are scattered and lost. And Sam said yes. The boys may have short circuited the Apocalypse, but what if the future Zachariah showed Dean was real? Something to think think about as the season continues.

The highlight of this episode for me – other than Dean having ALL OF TEH FEELS when Castiel died – is the moment in the church. I’m reminded of one of my favorite lines from Serenity, when Shepherd Book tells Captain Mal that he doesn’t care what Mal believes … “Just believe it.” Castiel’s faith has been tested before – the lie of his mission in Season 4 and the pain of realizing that God has truly left the building in Season 5. But before, he was still connected to something bigger through his grace. Now he’s human and discovering how easy it is to be completely cut off. Standing on that street, surrounded by people, Castiel is completely alone. And kudos to Misha for selling it. The hitch in his chest. The tears that are right there. Ultimately the message that the woman in the church offers is that you look for the thing that gives you strength, and you believe in that. Believe in the kindness of strangers. Believe that your strength won’t desert you when you need it. Believe in family. Even when they let you down.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..